


On A Wing, A Soul, and A Prayer

by Tathartiel



Category: Birdtale - Fandom, Undertale
Genre: Alliance rules everything, Dystopian society, F/M, Josh is awesome cousin, Mages, Papyrus is sweet, Soulmate AU, Totalitarian Dictatorship, Tried to give monsters wings based of personality, aiming for a Medium Burn, birdtale au, but might turn into slowburn, except monster territory of course, lots of magic, monsters are on surface
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-24
Updated: 2020-06-25
Packaged: 2021-03-01 03:41:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 19,823
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23298748
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tathartiel/pseuds/Tathartiel
Summary: The world has been practically destroyed and is now run by the Alliances which dictates everyone’s future. The only hope one has is to escape into monster territory and pray that they decide to be merciful. (Y/N) and her cousin decide to take that chance.
Relationships: Asgore/Toriel, Sans/Reader, Undyne/Alphys
Comments: 22
Kudos: 106





	1. Prologue

The world is not a nice place. It never has been. For as long as anyone could remember our history has been littered with wars and death. But, it had never been as bad as those 10 years had been. No one knows exactly how it started, but a Great War started that nearly destroyed human kind. Nuclear weapons had been aimed at every major city on the planet, and no one had been safe from the poison gas that had spread.

People said if you survived that you had been lucky, but some beg to differ. If you survived then you had to keep surviving no matter the cost. So many governments couldn’t keep up and were overthrown. If you were alone you might as well be dead, because there was no way you would be able to last without protection from the various gangs that were formed. But if you were in a gang then your life would be plagued with fighting that you wanted no part in. It was a nightmare that had lasted 20 whole years after the war.

But, a small group of people rose from what was left of the country that had been known as Canada and started what was known as the “Alliance.” They fought long and hard for the people of the worlds survival. At least...that is what we have been told. After finally managing to unite what was left of the human race, they discovered that our number had been dwindled down to a mere few thousand. We were weak and would be completely wiped out if another war broke out, i think that’s why no one ever rebelled against the Alliance. No one wants extinction.

Thats why it caused panic when a massive earthquake shook throughout the entire earth. They tracked the source of the tremor back to a mountain that had been located in what had been know as the Rocky Mountains. They were terrified to discover a new species that had referred to themselves as “monsters”. We are told they looked terrifying and had been prepared for war against human-kind. There was no way we could have survived against their magic, we would have faced extinction. So, the Alliance met with the leaders and managed to find an agreement.

Monsters would have the entire mountain range their mountain had been found in, plus a small stretch of land beyond that. They were also given the islands off the coast. Such as what was known as Hawaii. As long as monsters stayed in that territory, humans would not bother them. And as long as humans stayed out, monsters wouldn’t start the war we dreaded had come with them. Over time, they faded into nothing more than stories and legends. No one has seen one in over a hundred years, but we know they are still there. They like to send reminders of their presence with little dead gifts that litter the borderline of their territory, just to make sure we remember the agreement. Mostly small animals, like rabbits or something.

Since then, the Alliance has grown into a dictatorship. From the moment you were born, you had one purpose. The one the Alliance gave you. If they demanded you become a doctor, you would spend your whole life studying medicine and preparing to heal. If you were decided to become a soldier, then you spent your whole life in cruel training to give your life for the Alliance’s cause. There was no choice in the matter, unless we wanted to becomse extinct. At least, that’s what they told us anyway. 

It only became worse when mages arrived. No one was born with magic, but could eventually gain it once they got older. If you were discovered to have magic, then you were immediately shipped to the Alliance’s command center and never heard from again. The Alliance began searching for a way to breed a certain human that would be more likely to become a mage, and that’s where young girls were forced from their homes to become nothing more than animals to be bred. It was horrible, but no one wanted to die. We were already so few, what was the point of resisting repopulation right?

Wrong.

I refuse to accept this as our way of life. The Alliance has become nothing less than a tyrannical rule that doesn’t care if your human, as long as you serve their purpose. You try to rebel? Your whole village gets destroyed. This isn’t keeping us safe, this is keeping us controlled. And I’m not the only one who believes this, but what can we do? Run? Where would we go? Well, there is only one place the Alliance won’t find us.

The only problem is, would the monsters let us live for entering their territory? If they even existed in the first place. For all we know, the Alliance made them up to control us. But if they are real, how would we survive entering their land?

Guess i was going to find out.


	2. Run

YOUR P.O.V.

How long have I been running? I don’t know anymore. All I can remember is my cousin Josh violently shaking me awake then dragging me out the door. I didn’t know what was happening then, but I do remember shouting and small banging noises. It woke me right up and gave me the adrenaline to run as fast as I could with Josh.

Oh, I should probably explain shouldn’t I? Well, my name is (Y/N) and I’m an Ally. Well, that’s what I’ve been taught to say anyway. The truth is, my fate was decided before I was even born and I have had no control since the day I was born. That just how it is these days. The Alliance is the only thing that could guarantee survival so why go against it? I didn’t see much point to it.

Isnt the Alliance the very thing keeping us alive? Why doubt it if it protects us? They are just telling us what we’re good at doing and they allow us to use those talents to aide the Alliance for the greater good. At least, that’s what my parents believed and taught me. But my cousin and his parents, well....they didn’t get along with mine. They didn’t believe in the Alliance, and called it a tyrant.

I don’t know what a tyrant is, but it made my parents mad so I knew it couldn’t have been nice. My cousin had been forbidden to work with me and that was that. Until one day, my parents and his father were called to aid in another village. You see, my father was a shoemaker, my mother a tailor, and my uncle was blacksmith. The other village needed those things so the Alliance requested that my parents and uncle travel there. Unfortunately, my aunt, cousin, and I were not allowed to join them.

They never returned. I’m not sure what happened to them exactly, all I knew was that they were never coming back. Since then, I was raised by my aunt for about 5 years until she died. By then Josh was old enough to be guardian and the Alliance agreed not to relocate me until they needed a tailor elsewhere. That’s right, my whole life I have had one purpose. To make the exact same clothes every day. But I do not complain, this is my purpose after all.

But, I always knew my cousin disliked this way of life. How could he not? It stole his father from him, and my parents as well. He always talked about running away, about the running to somewhere they would never find us. He promised that if he ever did so that he would take me with him, and protect me with his life. But I never actually thought he would do so. 

But here I am, running for my life along with Josh.

”Come on (Y/N)! Just a little more! You got this!” Josh says beside me.

It must have been a week since that night. Every day he finds some cave or tree to hide in, then every night we run. I don’t know where we are going, but I do know one thing. If we are running, then something must have happened. Josh doesn’t do things so rushed like this unless something bad was going to happen if he didn’t. And I can only think of two things that could cause that.

One. They decided that I was of no more use as a tailor and had signed papers for me to be shipped to the breeding house. That thought alone brings a shudder down my spine. I don’t know exactly what it is, all I know is that it’s an awful place where woman deemed useless go to serve the only purpose they have left. At least, that’s what I hear the soldiers saying.

Two. One of us were positive on the illness test that was taken just a few days prior to our escape.

You see, sometimes a dangerous disease manifests inside a person and they become horribly sick and can pass that sickness along to others, so the Alliance takes those sick people to a special facility to be treated. However, there’s doesn’t seem to be a cure because people who come out positive...they never come back.

I don’t know any other reason other than those. We get tested once every three months to see if we have manifest the illness and during that time the soldiers evaluate our skills and see if we are of any use in our current field. If not...well...I have already explained what would happen to me.

Finally, after running for so long, Josh motions for me to stop and I gladly take it. I’m a tailor, not a soldier. I was not meant for such rigorous exercise.

”We are almost there (Y/N), but we have to be quiet from now on ok?” Josh says while he too catches his breath.

All I do is nod my head, which causes Josh to look at me sadly.

”Look, I know about what that soldier said to you the other day, but you know you can talk right?”

The other day I was chatting away with Josh when a soldier suddenly grabbed my arm and told me that as a woman I had no right to talk to a man as if he were my equal. I felt a very strange and unpleasant emotion, but said nothing and obeyed. Josh, however was livid. He had the sense to keep his frustrations inside until we got home. Wasn’t that what I was supposed to do? But I suppose Josh is right. Now that we have run if we ever return we will be seen as traitors and killed on sight, so I suppose it would make no sense to obey the commands of that soldier. 

”Ok, but where are we going? Isn’t there no place we can go that the soldiers won’t find us?”

Josh smiles at me. “There is one, cousin. And the soldiers won’t dare follow us there.” And with that he begins to walk once more.

I don’t know what he means until we reach a small, familiar clearing. I have only seen this place in pictures and the sight of it causes my whole body to shake in fear. No, this has to be some sort of mistake right? Josh would never risk going in there. Doing so means certain death.

But sure enough, after making sure no one was in sight, Josh begins walking towards the trees on the other side of the clearing. My hand immediately shoots out and grabs his arm to stop him. Is he mad!?

”T-that’s monster territory! We are not supposed to go in there!” I whisper as if the monsters I have only heard about could hear me.

”Exactly, if the stories are true then there is no way that anyone will follow us here. As long as we stay out of sight, then the monsters can’t hurt us. Besides, they might be nice.”

Nice? Nice!? Has he forgotten all of those awful stories we hadn’t been taught since we could open our eyes? All of the stories on how monsters had nearly slaughtered a hundred humans in a day? Or how they had been ready to wage war on all of human kind?! The Alliance keeps us from this place for a reason!

I voice that last sentence to Josh who only sighs then looks to me expectantly.

”What if the Alliance had been lying to us about those? What if the monsters aren’t vicious at all?” He asks me

”But what if they are?! And if we go in there, what if they find us?!”

He places his hands on my shoulders and look so me straight in the eye. His deep brown eyes bearing down into my (E/c) ones. Despite him being taller than me, I don’t feel threatened.

”Then I promise you, I will protect you with my life. All right?”

He is too sincere, and he has always looked out for me. However, I take a moment to look into the forest and feel doubt worm it’s way into my head. It looks dark and threatening with its tall trees and thick fog. It was as if I could feel a million pairs of monstrous eyes staring back into mine, just waiting for me to step into their land and give them an excuse to devour me.

”(Y/N).” I turn to see my cousin looking at me with begging eyes. “Don’t you want to know what freedom is? Aren’t you tired of never having a say in anything in your life?”

well, he’s not lying. I do not enjoy having to work longer just because I’m told to. I sometimes wish I could keep some of the food I forage, instead of having it taken away. But such thoughts are dangerous. Then again, haven’t I already been branded a traitor by now? Perhaps, even if it is but for a day, I can enjoy a small taste of what freedom looks like.

I nod my head, and shakingly follow my cousin into the terrifying forest.


	3. Into the Woods

YOUR P.O.V.

No matter how many times Josh tries to comfort by placing his hand on my shoulder, I can’t rid myself of the terrifying feeling that something bad is going to happen. How long has it been since we trespassed on monster land? A minute? An hour? I can’t tell anymore, all I can feel is unease. It can’t be much longer until we are found, either by monsters or wild beasts. Or both.

Why did I let Josh drag me into this? I still don’t even know the reason he chose to run. Now, we are lost with no idea where we are going or how we are to survive. We don’t know how to survive; we weren’t taught how. All I can do is sew clothing together and all Josh can do is forge metal, just like his father. Neither of us have any skills on how to survive alone in the wilderness. If the monsters don’t kill us, then wild beasts or poisonous plants will.

Ah, that’s why I let him drag me into this. Freedom. I had wanted to see what it felt like, and it was terrifying.

”You are like a squirrel, jumping at every sound like that. You must calm down (Y/N).”

Once more Josh tries to calm me down, and once more it fails to take effect. How can I calm down? I’m in a situation that I have never been in before, and have no knowledge on how to handle it. How is he so calm?

”How are you so calm Cousin?” I can’t help but ask. Perhaps if I know how he is calm, I can be calm as well.

”Well,” He starts nervously, “don’t laugh, but....I have a gut feeling. Something just seemed to tell me that...everything was going to be alright. It wasn’t what made me bring you here, and it’s what is keeping me calm now. Don’t ask how it works, because I’m afraid I don’t know the answer to that. I just know it’s going to be fine ya know?”

No, I don’t. But I do have faith in my cousin, so if he says everything is going to be fine then I’ll believe him.

We once again slip into silence, but now I don’t feel nearly as panicked as I once did. The forest seemed slightly less suffocating, and I started to take in my surroundings. I have to admit, it was far more beautiful than the village. The village was old, and muddy. We were not a farming village, so we did not have very many plants other than scrawny berry plants that were hard to find. Everywhere you turned it seemed that there was another run-down house that looked ready to fall over, but supplies were too scarce to repair them. Only the soldiers had better houses that weren’t cramped with sick children and frail parents. They said it was because they needed to be in perfect health to defend the Alliance.

But here, the air was fresh and had a pleasant smell to it. There was a strange beauty to the mist that seemed to almost blanket the forest floor, like magic. And now that I wasn’t panicking, I could hear the sounds of peaceful wildlife around me. Birds chirping and flying from tree to tree, and a stray rabbit or squirrel running to avoid the trespassers in their land. It was....much nicer than the life I had known. Did those horrific beasts from the stories truly live here? Perhaps Josh was right. The Alliance told us that monsters had no respect for life, yet this place seems full of it. Maybe monsters really weren’t as vicious as the stories had said.

Just as I finished that thought, Josh yanks me to the ground and hides both himself and I under a fallen down tree. Before I can ask what was wrong, he covers my mouth with one hand and uses his other one to put his finger to his lips in a silencing motion. I knew better, so I kept as quiet and still as possible. It had seemed that everything was fine, but Josh’s serious expression kept me silent. What had he seen? Why were we hiding?

Then, whereas before the forest had been silent, a violent wind overtook the spot where we had been standing. It had been too sudden, I had never seen it coming. In the exact spot we had been, stood a tall, intimidating figure. It was terrifying! With blue, scaley skin, bright red hair, and scaringly sharp teeth. Huge, black wings stuck out from it’s back and the figure stood in proud stance to show them off. It’s one, yellow eye swept over the area. Searching for something. Searching for us. 

I held my breath and stared at the creature from me and Josh’s hiding place. This looked just as the stories had described them. Terrifying, strong, and threatening. I can’t help but shake from fear and Josh hugs me to keep my shaking from attracting the attention of the monster. As it continues to search the forest, it messes with something on its wrist. It appear so to be similar to the communication devices that Alliances officials wear. To confirm my thoughts, it lets out a small beeping noice that calls the attention of its wearer.

The monster looks down at it’s wrist and huffs. It seems...annoyed. I have no time to be curious before it spreads its ginormous wings and shoots in the sky. 

Me and Josh remain frozen where we are. What if it’s still there?! What if it’s still looking for us? What if this is a trick?! That thing looked terrifying and I don’t want to confront it. Then again, if we stay here it might come back. I’m going to die here aren’t I?

”Come on, we have to keep going. Try to be as quiet as possible ok?” I hear Josh say beside me.

I can only shakingly nod my head and scramble to join Josh out of the safety of the dead trunk. Monsters....they really were real. They weren’t some sort of ploy that was meant to keep us in line. They were very real and very frightening. What would we do if one actually finds us? We had been lucky this time but what if that luck runs out next time? We stood no chance against that thing, we would die in seconds.

By now it is dark, and I can barely see two feet in front of me. If we continue in the dark we would be defenseless against anything that decided to have us as a midnight snack. Josh seems to have the same idea as he leads me to a small indent in the earth. It appears to be an empty den of some sort.

”Hey, we can rest here for the night ok? Get some sleep for tomorrow.”

I make no argument and huddle with Josh in the den as much as I can for warmth. That night I dream of winged beasts and sharp, yellow eyes piercing into mine in the dark.

TIME SKIP 

It turns out, the den was slightly bigger than expected. It was big enough for both me and Josh to lay and still had some space left over. In facts, it was so spacious that Josh decided that it was the perfect place to stay. He had gone exploring before I had even woke up and had discovered a stream and several edible plants that we could eat. For the next week we had transformed the small den into a humble home for the two of us.

I rarely left the safety of it. The only times I did was to help Josh in retrieving food and water. The encounter with monster has left me too scared to do much else. It still haunts my nightmares and sometimes even my waking moments. I always fear of looking over my shoulder and seeing long claws ready to tear me open.

But, the last few days Josh has been acting...strange. In more ways than one. He seems more tired than usual, as his “exploring sessions” become smaller and smaller. Yet at the same time he seems restless. He can’t staying in the den for too long when he isn’t sleeping and is always trying to leave to fetch water or more food. When I asked if he was feeling alright, he brushed it off like he was fine.

It wasn’t until I persisted that he finally said something.

”Remember that gut feeling I told you about? I’ve got it again. I don’t know, I just have the feeling that I have to be somewhere but I don’t know where that place is. But seriously, I’m fine. You don’t have anything to worry about, I promise I’ll look out for you.”

For some reason that didn’t make me feel better. He’s been lookin paler too. 

I feel a flash of fear and dread shoot through me when I turn around and see Josh collapse in front of me. Immediately rushing to his side I see that his breath is ragged and he’s sweating profusely. This doesn’t make sense! What is happening?! He seemed fine yesterday, if not a little tired. So why did he collapse? And why does he look like he’s in so much pain?!

”Josh!? P-please! This isn’t funny!” I cry. I don’t know what to do. I’m no physician....wait the physician!

Sometimes I would be ordered to run errands for others in the village. Every once in a while I’ll be ordered to pick up herbs from the shipments that come in. Maybe I can remember some of the medicinal herbs that the physician would use for illnesses. But...what kind of illness does he have? And would I be able to find them in the forest?

My panicking thoughts are cut off from Josh making a pained groan. He’s....he’s dying isn’t he? What do I do? Wait...on his leg, his pants are torn. I look at the torn fabric and brush it away from the skin to see a discoloring cut stretch across his leg. He must have been cut by something. Obviously whatever he cut himself with has poisoned him, and I have no idea how to treat it.

My only hope really I say to find what herbs I can find and hope it helps. I’m sure I can remember what some of the plants look like, it’s just a matter of finding them. But before I exit the cave I falter. I need to go out there? Alone? Josh promised to protect me, but now he can’t even talk. If I run into a monster I’ll be completely defenseless and Josh will more than likely die. Then again, if I do that go than he’ll die so I don’t really have a choice do I?

Swallowing as much fear as I can I exit the den and immediately begin investigating every plant I come across. Nothing looks familiar, and I don’t have time to waste. My panicked mind searches for anything, anything that looked vaguely familiar to the plants in the physicians house. However, the more I searched the farther I got from the den and the more my fear grew. Not good, if I can’t think straight then I can’t remember the herbs I need. Especially with the tears that blur my vision.

I find myself tripping over a tree root and falling flat on my face. My tears don’t stop and I feel a sense of dread fall over me. Until I look to my left and see a familiar plant. This...this is it! It looks so much like that same herb the physician used to clean cuts! This can help Josh! I quickly gather as much as I can and begin stumbling back in the direction I came from.

But my happiness lasts only a moment as I hear a low growl come from beside me. I immediately freeze and look in the location the threatening noise came from. There, an animal bares it’s fangs at me and lowers itself in a threatening stance. I have never seen this kind of animal before, but it was big and looked similar to the stray dogs that would roam the streets of the village. It’s dark fur and blue eyes only add to the fear-worthy aura surrounding the beast.

I slowly back up, but my body fills with dread when my back hits a tree. I have no where to run from this thing, it’s obviously faster anyway. Still clutching the plant to my chest I close my eyes tightly and wait for the animal to rip me to shreds. I’m sorry Josh, I couldn’t help you.

I hear the animal let out a small bark, then leap at me. But the excruciating pain I expected never came. Instead I hear a sharp, painful yelp and a loud crashing noise. Struggling noises could be heard, but I was too scared to open my eyes. Besides, whatever had stopped the beast was either going to die, or was even more capable of killing me. The struggling stopped, and I could hear the sound of the animal running away.

”WOWIE! THAT WAS QUITE A CLOSE CALL! ARE YOU ALL RIGHT THERE HUMAN?”

At the sound of someone speaking I snap my eyes open and immediately regret it. There, standing right in front off me, was a living skeleton. It wore what looked like an orange cape, and....armor? And it’s huge, at least 8 ft. tall. It’s obviously a monster and I find myself shaking even more at the idea of dying by its hands. It seems to see my fear because it immediately gets down on its knees and holds out it’s hands in a calming gesture. He look so like he’s approaching a scared deer, I certainly feel like one.

”THERE THERE HUMAN! I KNOW YOU ARE FRIGHTENED BUT THE GREAT PAPYRUS WILL NOT HARM YOU!! I PROMISE YOU HAVE NO REASON TO BE SCARED.”

It-he seems so sincere. Or maybe it’s because he saved me from the animal. But, I feel myself starting to calm down. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still terrified, but maybe he’s not so bad? Josh did say that the monsters might be friendly, so....maybe I could try it?

”HUMAN! PLEASE DONT TELL ME YOU WERE GOING TO EAT THAT PLANT! IT COULD POISON YOU!” He says while not moving from his position.

The plant’s.....poisonous? Then, I would have only made things worse for Josh. I must have mistaken it, I’m so stupid. How could I do that? Wait...Josh! Well, I’m desperately now so I might as well.

”p-please.” My voice comes out smaller than I want it to. “M-my cousin. He...he’s...” I can’t finish my sentence, but I don’t need to. Realization crosses the monsters face.

”IS THERE AN INJURED HUMAN AROUND HERE? WORRY NOT SMALL ONE! I HAVE SOME MEDICINE WITH ME RIGHT NOW! IF YOU TAKE ME TO YOUR FRIEND I CAN HELP.”

I don’t really have any better ideas. Josh obviously needs help and I can’t provide that. I can’t even tell if a plant is poisonous or not. All I can do is hope that this monster isn’t trying to eat me and actually wants to help Josh. So I try to keep myself from shaking as I nod my head and walk in the direction of the den as fast as I can. Which...isn’t very fast at all. I keep tripping over roots and rocks until finally I feel a pair of hands on my shoulders that cause me to jump.

The monster looks at me apologetically.

”I’M SORRY. I KNOW YOU ARE PROBABLY NOT COMFORTABLE BEING TOUCHED BY ME, BUT WOULD YOU MIND IF I CARRIED YOU? YOUR FRIEND, JUDGING BY YOUR HURRIED STATE, DOESNT SEEM TO BE WELL AND I FEEL WE COULD MOVE FASTER IF I CARRIED YOU AND YOU GUIDED ME.”

Well, it’s not like I’m moving very fast. Hoping I’m not being tricked, I nod my head and allow the strange skeleton to pick me up and carry me. I have to admit, this is a lot faster than stumbling. It takes barely any time at all for me to direct him to the den. I hurriedly scramble out of the monsters arms and squeeze myself intocable the den.

Oh my goodness, he looks worse! He looks paler than before and now he is completely drenched in sweet. His leg has swollen and now is different shades of several colors. I shouldn’t of left him for so long!

”HUMAN? IM AFRAID I CANNOT FIT THROUGH THE ENTRANCE. IS THERE ANY WAY YOU CAN BRING YOUR FRIEND TO ME?”

Oh, that’s right. Josh could just barely fit through the opening, so the monster wouldn’t be able to fit at all. Josh is too big for me to carry, so I drag him as gently as I can to the entrance. Luckily, the monsters was able to help me at the end as he stuck his hands through and carried Josh out. 

Immediately his demeanor shifts into something more serious from the gentle stance he had with me. He brings out a bag that had been hidden by his cape out and starts bringing out several medical items. It was as if I was in the physician’s house. The monster moved with such swiftness and confidence that before I knew it, Josh’s leg had been cleaned and bandaged. 

“THERE! YOU ARE LUCKY WE GOT HERE WHEN WE DID! NIGHTSHADE IS NOTHING TO JOKE ABOUT ESPECIALLY SINCE HIS WOUND GOT INFECTED! HE SHOULD BE FINE AFTER HE WAS RESTED!”

I feel myself breath an air of relief. He’s ok, he was going to be ok. I look back up at the kind monster that had chosen to help me. Maybe they really weren’t so bad after all.


	4. GREETINGS HUMAN!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Falcon symbolism: speaks of victory, success, and rising above challenging situations. It also signifies wisdom, vision, and protection.

THIRD P.O.V.

A certain monster stretches his wings as he relaxes in a tree. He can never get enough of the fresh air and open sky, a real dream come true. It took a while, but monsterkind had finally reached a peaceful era where they were free. Well, mostly. Human still weren’t comfortable with monsters so King Asgore had agreed to stay in a certain mountain range along with the islands off the coast. Still it was better than nothing he supposed, much better than the cramped mountain they had been stuck under. At least now they could fly without restrictions.

”Still right where I left you. Figures.”

the monster opens his eyes to see a familiar blue-scaled captain.

”What can I say fish-sticks? Napping’s so easy I could do it with my eyes closed.” He ends his sentence in a signature wink. But his only response is an annoyed groan.

”Still caught up on that one day ‘Dyne?” He grins

”I’m telling you I saw something Sans! I know that something was in the border forest that day, I just don’t know where it could have gone off to. What if it was a human?” Undyne says, a scowl stretched across her face.

All Sans responds with is a sigh before turning back to his old friend. “I don’t know. I mean it’s a possibility, but don’t you think we would have found them by now if that were the case? Besides humans haven’t bothered us in months. Certainly not by entering our land uninvited. But if it’s helps, I’ll patrol the border a little more tonight and see if I can find anything k?”

Undyne also lets out a sigh before nodding. But before either monster can continue the conversation, a familiar beeping rings through the air.

”That you?” Undyne asks.

”Yeah, probably Papyrus. He went to see if he could find that deer family near the river.” Sans responds while preparing to answer.

”Isnt that a little too close to the border?” 

“Far enough that nothing bad can happen without us getting there fast enough.” Finally Sans manages to turn his communicator on. “Heya bro. Find those deer yet?”

”ER, NOT EXACTLY BROTHER. REMEMBER THAT NIGHT UNDYNE SAID SHE SAW SOMETHING?” 

Both monsters perk up at that, but Undyne beats Sans in responding. “Yeah? What about it? Did you find anything?”

”OH UNDYNE! IS THAT YOU? WELL, YES I DID FIND SOMETHING! UM....IT APPEARS TWO VERY MALNOURISHED HUMANS HAVE WANDERED INTO OUR TERRITORY! AND ONE OF THEM IS INJURED.”

Sans feels his eye sockets darken as he and Undyne share a look of concern.

”Keep ‘em there Paps. We’re on our way.”

YOUR P.O.V.

I wonder what is taking that skeleton monster so long? He said he had left to gather some food and see if the wolf had been injured (whatever a wolf is). But that had been a little while and now i was scared that something had happened. I mean, he did help me save Josh. Plus he seems so nice. I wonder if this is all a trick and now that my guard is down he can— no I have to think positive. Like Josh! He always seems to think about the positive, so I should try to as well.

”ugh-“

I immediately straighten my back and stare intensely at Josh. He seems to finally be waking up as he lifts his hand to rub his head. I give him about three seconds before crashing into his side in a hug. All he can do is yelp in surprise and confusion at my quivering form.

”(Y-y/n)!? What is wrong? Are you ok?” His voice is thick with concern and i can’t stop from crying.

”W-why didn’t you t-tell m-me you were hurt?! I was s-so scared!” I say between tears and hiccups. I can’t help it, Josh is all I have left in this world.

”Ah...geez cousin I- well, I didn’t want to worry you is all. Please stop crying, there’s nothing to worry abo-“

”You almost died!” I all but screamed at him. Nothing to worry about? Nothing to worry about?! “Y-you collapsed! You w-were so pale a-and you were shivering! I tried to f-find medicine b-but......then there was a b-beast, a-and—monster and-.” My tears no longer allow me to speak as I once again bury myself into his side in a bone-crushing hug. 

This time he hugs back this time and strokes my hair in a calming manner while trying to calm me down.

”there there cousin. I’m alright now aren’t I? It’s going to be ok, please stop crying.” He says softly. 

It works (to an extent) and now i try to rub as many tears as I can away from eyes. Embarrassment on my face. However, Josh doesn’t seem to mind as he offers me a warm smile.

”All better?” I hesitantly nod. “Ok, now try again. What was that you said about a monster?”

”Oh! I-“ I’m cut off by a familiar voice and I look up to see the strange, but friendly monster come from the trees carrying what looked to be some sort of berry.

”I HAVE RETURNED HUMAN! LUCKILY I FOUND SOME DELICIOUS AND HEALTHY BERRIES THAT YOU CAN— OH! I SEE YOU ARE AWAKE SLIGHTLY BIGGER HUMAN! FORGIVE ME FOR NOT BEING ABLE TO DO MUCH BETTER ON YOU LEG! BUT I DIDNT WANT TO HEAL IT IF IT HAD MORE POISON LINGERING UNDER THE SKIN! YOU REALLY SHOULDN’T ALLOW AN INFECTION LIKE THAT TO CONTINUE. IT MIGHT HAVE SERIOUSLY INJURED YOU, NOT TO MENTION IT FRIGHTENED THE SMALLER HUMAN INTO WALKING INTO WOLF TERRITORY LOOKING FOR MEDICINE!”

Josh sits perfectly still as he stares at the monster in shock. His face has gone considerable pale once more, but he appears more surprised than scared. In fact, I might see a bit of awe in his eyes but then again that might of been my imagination. However, Papyrus mistakes Josh’s expression for fear and kneels down similar to how he did when first meeting me and speaks in a softer (but somehow still loud) voice.

”THERE IS NO NEED TO BE FRIGHTENED OR CONCERNED HUMAN! I HAVE NO ILL INTENTIONS TOWARDS YOU OR YOUR SMALLER COMPANION. PERHAPS INTRODUCTIONS ARE FINALLY IN ORDER, I AM THE GREAT PAPYRUS! YOU WERE QUITE SICK WHEN YOUR COUSIN BROUGHT ME TO YOU, BUT THANKFULLY MY MEDICINE APPEARS TO BE WORKING SPLENDIDLY!” 

The monster...Er, Papyrus, holds a friendly smile on his face as he introduces himself to Josh. Come to think of it, didn’t he mention his name to me earlier as well? I can’t recall. All I remember is panicking. But Josh seems to recover from his initial shock and sticks out his hand towards the monster in a friendly gesture, face beaming.

”Uh, pleased to meet you Papyrus! Forgive me for my shocked expression, you just surprised me is all. Thank you very much for looking out for me and my cousin.” How can he say that without shaking in fear? I’ll probably never know.

But Papyrus seems over joyed that Josh isn’t frightened of him as he excitedly shakes himself hand.

”IT IS NO PROBLEM AT ALL! MY PRESENCE AFFECTS OTHERS LIKE THAT QUITE OFTEN! ESPECIALLY HUMANS. BUT THE GREAT PAPYRUS IS ALWAYS WILLING TO HELP OTHERS IN NEED!” 

Well, nothing bad seems to have happened so far so I guess I was worried for nothing. After introducing both of us Josh picks up a friendly conversation with Papyrus as we munch on the berries he brought us. Apparently, Papyrus was flying by looking for a family of deer when he had heard me yelp from falling (I don’t even remember yelping). After he had seen the wolf about to attack me he jumped in and tackled the wolf. Papyrus was quite specific on how he heroically battled the wolf without causing any severe injuries on either opponent than allowed the wolf to run away completely unharmed.

Josh had been extremely worried to hear that I had been in so much danger, but it had quickly turned to awe when he hear of how Papyrus had saved me. Papyrus had continued on to describe how I led him back to Josh and he had been able to stop the infected wound to the best of his ability. 

“AND NOW HERE WE ARE! YOUR COUSIN IS QUITE BRAVE TO TRY TO FIND MEDICINE FOR YOU ALL ON HER OWN!” 

I blush at the compliment and Josh lets out a small laugh.

”SAY HUMANS? DID YOU HAPPEN TO HAVE ENTERED OUR TERRITORY ABOUT A WEEK FROM NOW?”

Both me and Josh freeze at his question. Are we in trouble? Papyrus senses our unease and throws his hands up to try and ease our worries.

”WORRY NOT HUMANS! AS I HAVE MENTIONED EARLIER I MEAN NO HARM. IT IS JUST THAT A FRIEND OF MINE THOUGHT SHE SAW SOMEONE NEAR THE BORDER AROUND A WEEK AGO AND I WAS CURIOUS IF THAT WAS YOU.”

Is he talking about that intimidating monster that had almost caught us last week? He must be. We really are in trouble aren’t we?

”Yes, I’m afraid that was us. Forgive me, we did not mean to cause any monsters any harm and I assure you that we don’t mean much trouble. We just.....we had no where else to go.” Josh says as he looks at the ground sadly, I can’t help but do the same.

”DO NOT BE CONCERNED, THE GREAT PAPYRUS WILL SURELY—OH! I DO BELIEVE I HEAR MY FRIENDS APPROACHING NOW! DO NOT BE AFRAID, NOTHING BAD WILL HAPPEN TO YOU.”

Wait...his what is coming? I hear a loud flapping noise as a very familiar figure lands with sudden bang. I recognize that monster, it’s the same one that had almost found me and Josh in the forest that day. It is still as frightening as the day I first saw it....except this time it looks mad, and that makes it much worse.

”PAPYRUS! ARE YOU OK!?” She screeches out.

I finally notice that Papyrus is standing almost directly in front of me and Josh as if blocking us from his terrifying friend. Would she harm us? Are we no longer safe? She even look so few inches taller than Papyrus! And who knows how strong she is!

”IM PERFECTLY FINE AND WITHOUT INJURIES UNDYNE. BOTH OF THE HUMANS ARE DOING MUCH BETTER AS WELL.” Papyrus says calmly.

This Undyne figure finally seems to notice us (sort-of) hiding behind Papyrus and her face holds an expression of uncertainty. She doesn’t seem too keen on trusting us.

”DO NOT WORRY UNDYNE! THEY ARE QUITE FRIENDLY! THEY HAVE TOLD ME THAT THEY NEEDED A PLACE TO TURN TO AND OUR TERRITORY WAS THE ONLY PLACE THEY COULD GO. ALTHOUGH YOU ARRIVED BEFORE I COULD ASK WHY. I PROMISE THAT THEY MEAN NO HARM.” 

That seems to be enough reason for Undyne to get closer, but not enough for her to drop her guarded stance. Why is she so on guard? Do we really look capable enough to stand up to her? I’m shaking so hard that it’s starting to shake Josh as well. She certainly looks like she could beat me into the ground then walk away like it was nothing.

”So...what are a couple of humans seeking shelter from monster turf for?” She says cautiously.

”We were being chased by a group of bad people, and I knew they would never follow us here so i knew that this was the safest option for us. I had hoped to perhaps negotiate some sort of truce with you regarding a place for my cousin. I’ll take all responsibility for breaking the treaty by coming in, just please let my cousin stay here where it’s safe.” Josh says calmly.

I quickly whip my head around in surprise for several reasons. One, Josh never mentioned that he would take all the punishment for trespassing. He couldn’t do that! What would I do if they decided to imprison him? Or worse, kill him? Was I to stay here by myself? And two, how is he so calm talking to something that could easily end his life?!

But Papyrus and Undyne had different reactions. Yes they were surprised at his request, but they casted unreadable expressions at each other as well. Something clearly didn’t make sense to them regarding what Josh had said, but what? It seemed that Papyrus and Undyne were having a silent conversation with their eyes before turning back to us.

”DO NOT WORRY HUMAN, I ALREADY TOLD YOU THAT WE MEAN NO HARM. HOWEVER, PERHAPS IT WOULD BE BEST IF WE DISCUSSED THIS WITH OUR KING BEFORE GIVING YOU AN ANSWER.” Papyrus said.

King? We were going to meet a king? And not just any king, the king of all monsterkind?! If i wasn’t scared before, i am now.

”Welp, we better get going then shouldn’t we?” Says a deep, unfamiliar voice.

I can’t help it. I scream and cover my head with my arms while curling my body to try and protect me from the unseen threat.

”SANS!! YOU FRIGHTENED HER! YOU CANNOT SIMPLY JUMP OUT LIKE THAT ESPECIALLY BEHIND A HUMAN!” Papyrus screeches.

All that responds is a loud laugh. Clearly whoever had spoken had found my reaction hilarious. I slowly peak out from behind my fingers and catch small glimpses at the figure still shaking from laughter. For some reason, hearing him laugh like that slowly eases my fear away a small bit. He was clearly just messing with me, so perhaps he meant no harm?

”Heh heh. Sorry about that kiddo. I’m Sans, Sans the skeleton.” The voice says. Sans huh?

”Pleasure to meet you Sans the Skeleton. My name is Josh and this here is my cousin, (Y/n).”

I feel Josh shift so he can reach past me and shake the figures hand. A strange and embarrassing sound rings through the air and now both Josh and Sans are laughing while Papyrus yells at Sans about pranks. What’s a prank?

”You gonna hide in yer arms forever kid?” I hear Sans say.

I make a small squeaking sound and bury my face further into my arms. Normally, I would be more respectful and uncover my face when told to, but for some reason the thought of doing so makes me feel incredibly nervous. It isn’t until Josh nudges me and gives me a quiet ‘it’s alright’ do I slowly uncover my eyes, but doing so only makes me more nervous.

In front of me is a skeletal hand. A skeleton hand. I slowly creep my eyes up to see two deep pools of black look back into my eyes. For a second I’m mesmerized by the strange beauty of it. His eyes are empty, black spaces with only two white dots as eye-lights. But they remind me of stars in a night sky. I’m only snapped out of it when said eye-sockets widen on his skeletal face.

The last thing I remember is a skeleton hand reach for me and Josh’s voice call my name in concern before my vision fades to black.


	5. Captain of the Guard

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Undyne=Vulture wings  
> Vulture symbolism: purification and the restoration of harmony in life; power and strength. (Also maybe death but imma try and look more at the positive ok?)

YOUR P.O.V.

I was having a nice dream. I was in a forest by a river. Everything was peaceful and a strange, black bird landed on my shoulder. A raven by the looks of it. There were no illnesses or threats of death, just peace and tranquility. The raven and I stayed by the river while a calming tune hummed in the air. There was nothing wrong, and I couldn’t help but admire the raven’s feathers. They were so pretty and soft. They lacked in color, but for some reason I didn’t mind. In fact, I rather liked it that way.

But alas, dreams are only that. Waking up was pleasant as well to say the least. Then den’s floor felt much softer than usual and warm too. Almost as if I was lying on a real bed like the Alliance officials have. Wait....since when did Josh and I have a blanket? Or a pillow for that matter? I snap my eyes open and find myself in an unfamiliar setting.

It appeared to be some sort of tent yet at the same time it was too sturdy to be a temporary home. (Think the houses in Moana, but with actual walls) I must say though, it was rather cozy. The floor was made of sturdy wood, and the bed I was currently sitting in was well-crafted as the table and chairs that sat in the corner of the room. Most of the items were made of wood in fact, even the door. My door had only been a simple cloth in the village. It’s walls were bare except for the odd lamp or picture frame of a ... skeleton?

Suddenly the memories of what had happened all came rushing back to me: Josh being sick, getting attacked by a wild beast then saved by a friendly skeleton, seeing that terrifying fish monster, then....the voice...and stars? The last few memories are fuzzy and confusing but I remember a deep and pleasant laugh and a friendly voice. That’s it though, I can’t remember what happened next. Something about stars in pools of black? Or was that a dream?

”Took you long enough punk.”

I nearly fall on the floor as I jump from the suddenness of the voice. Quickly looking around the room once more, I still can’t find the figure that the voice belonged to. It isn’t until I hear a loud chuckle that I finally think to look up. One again, I’m frozen in fear. It’s the same terrifying monster that haunts my nightmares, and she’s right there! Sitting on some sort of wooden beam.

”Fufufufu! You look like your about to faint again! Humans can be such wimpy cowards!” She says before jumping down and landing gracefully with a loud thud. Fainted?

”Who knew that all it took was a few monsters and bam! You faint from fear! Well, Paps said you also might have fainted from dehydration but that’s debatable.” 

She’s just.....talking.....as if we are acquaintances or something. I’m confused and it shows on my facial expressions because the monster (Undyne I think?) lets out a nervous laugh and rubs the back of her neck with one of her scaly hands.

”Er right, about that....sorry if it looked like I was gonna hurt ya or something. I know humans aren’t quite used to monsters, but I swear I ain’t gonna hurt ya or anything. You know what? I’ll just let your cousin explain things to ya.”

my cousin.......JOSH!!! I immediately begin to panic inwardly. How could I not realize he wasn’t here with me?! Where is he?! Did the monsters lock him up?! Hurt him?! Worse!?!

”Jeesh! You panic over everything don’t you!? Calm down he’s fine! He just needed to talk to a few people that’s all. Seriously it’s like you panic over every little detail.” Undyne looks slightly annoyed before nudging me out of the bed I was in. “Ok get up squirt. Your cousin is waiting for you at the mess hall. And for pities sake calm down! I’m not gonna hurt ya!”

And with that Undyne stomps to the door and yanks back the door to let light in. Scared of what the monster might do if I disobey I scramble out of the bed I was in and hurriedly trip towards the doorway. She doesn’t give me much time to keep up as she continues walking at a speedy pace without slowing down, not even when she greets other monsters left and right.

I, However, am intimidated by the sheer sight of the monsters we come across. Most of them look at me strangely and I can’t help but notice that most of them have weapons and claws. Granted, most of them also looked like cute and fluffy white dogs but I’m more focused on the weapons and sharp claws. So I say nothing as I follow Undyne towards a bigger compound. 

I barely get both feet through the door before my vision is blocked by a familiar face.

”HUMAN! I AM MOST RELIEVED TO SEE THAT YOU ARE ALL RIGHT! IT IS A GOOD THING UNDYNE WENT TO CHECK UP ON YOU! WE DIDNT WANT TO SCARE YOU BY LEAVING YOU ALONE FOR TOO LONG!” I can’t help the small smile that finds its way to my face. Yes, I was terrified of him at first, but Papyrus is probably the only monster I trust right now. He did save Josh after all.

”Glad to see you awake cousin.” I look behind Papyrus to see Josh. I quickly run to him and give him as tight a hug that I can give. (Which is embarrassingly not much) “I have to say you scared me for a minute there. Please don’t make fainting a regular thing.” Josh jokes and I make a small giggle before burying my face into his shirt. 

“YOU MUST BE HUNGRY FRIEND! LET’S GET YOU SOMETHING TO EAT OK?” Papyrus interrupts our hug with.

I give a nod and follow Josh to a group of tables that laid in the middle of the room. Papyrus leaves for a small moment only to return with a plate of....actually, I don’t know what that is. It had long strings of what looked like dough, with red sauce and clumps of meat on it. I just stare at it confused before Josh comes to my rescue.

”It is called spaghetti. Papyrus made it! It’s really good too, try it!” He encourages.

”AH YES, I FORGOT THAT JOSH MENTIONED THAT NEITHER OF YOU HAD EVER TRIED SPAGHETTI BEFORE. WHICH IS A GREAT SHAME BECAUSE I SAY IT IS THE GREATEST CULINARY DISH ONE CAN HAVE!!!” Papyrus says. “ALTHOUGH I SUPPOSED THAT I AM QUITE HONORED THAT MY SPAGHETTI WILL BE YOUR FIRST (AND BEST) SPAGHETTI EXPERIENCE EVER!”

He looks so proud of himself, it’s cute. In the village all we were allowed to eat was thin, tasteless bread and water. There wasn’t enough food for everyone sometimes, so we would go to sleep hungry. I prepare to take a bite when a small burst of wind pushes my hair into my face and causes me to drop my fork.

”SANS!!! WHAT DID I SAY ABOUT FLYING INTO BUILDINGS! AND WHAT DID I SAY ABOUT SNEAKING UP ON PEOPLE?! THE SMALLER HUMAN WAS JUST ABOUT TO TRY MY BRILLIANT SPAGHETTI AND YOU JUST RUINED IT WITH YOUR ENTRANCE.” Papyrus screeches out.

I hear a deep, familiar chuckle in response to Papyrus’s outburst.

”Sorry Paps. I’ll try to keep my entrances less flashy next time k?” That voice....

“You need help with your hair (Y/n)?” Josh says beside me.

I nod quickly. Somehow, that wind tangled my hair to the point that I can’t get it to stay out of my face. Not that my hair wasn’t tangled before. I didn’t exactly have time to grab my tiny hairbrush before escaping the soldiers. Not to mention I have been trying to survive in the forest for about a week, so my looks had been the least of my worries. But now, surrounded by judging eyes, I suddenly feel more self-conscious.

Luckily, Josh was able to help me keep my hair out of my face. Now i can clearly see the figure to whom the pleasant voice belonged to. It looked to be a skeleton monster similar to Papyrus. But this skeleton only came up to Papyrus’s shoulders and had a wider body. His skull looked less like a human skull as well, and his grin seemed to be permanently on his face. He wore goggles on his head and a dark blue jacket that soft-looking fluff around the rim of the hood. It looked comfortable.

However when he turned to look at me I feel myself tense and freeze in my spot. I don’t know how to explain it, but I felt like I knew him somehow. Yet, I had never seen him before. His eye-sockets had widened slightly at seeing me as well, but it only lasted a second before returning to his relaxed face.

”Well, look who decided to wake up. You’re not gonna faint on me again are ya?” He grinned at me.

Embarrassed I jerk my head to look at my hands that were resting on my lap. He must have been the monster that had tried to greet me before I passed out. I feel even more embarrassed when he lets out a small laugh.

”SANS! DO NOT EMBARRASS THE HUMAN ANY MORE THAT SHE ALREADY IS! SHE CLEARLY FEELS BAD ABOUT FALLING UNCONSCIOUS AND WE SHOULD NOT BRING UP THE SUBJECT ANY MORE THAN NEEDED. INSTEAD, LET US ALLOW OUR HUMAN FRIENDS TO REGAIN THEIR STRENGTH.”

Thank you Papyrus. I once again prepare to eat the meal that had been generously made for me, only pausing slightly when Sans sat across from me at the table. He seemed to be so relaxed, but this is his home so I shouldn’t be surprised I guess.

As soon as I took the first bite I feel my face spread into an expression of wonder. I had never tasted so much flavor!! It was the best thing I had ever tasted in my life, and after going so long with little food I can’t help but eat as much as I can.

”Woah! Slow down Cousin! You are going to choke like I did if you keep eating so fast.” Josh says with a small laugh.

Sans and Undyne had laughed at my response as well. Apparently my wonder amused them. Papyrus, however, couldn’t look more happy.

”I’M SO HAPPY YOU BOTH ENJOY MY SPAGHETTI SO MUCH!” He smiles. Aw papyrus.

”Anyway, aren’t we supposed to discuss some more important matters.” Sans says in a calm tone.

”Right, so punk.” Undyne turns to me and I can’t help the shiver of fear that travels up my spine. “As I am sure you remember, Josh here said you both came here looking for a place to stay?”

I nod my head respectively.

”Well Josh here pretty much filled me in concerning your guys’s....uh, situation. And I’m afraid I can’t give you a straight answer.” My heart drops a bit hearing that. Were they gonna kick us out?

”That doesn’t mean we’re kicking ya to the curb kid.” Sans interrupts. Is he a mind-reader or something?

”No! Not at all punk! What I meant to say I say that I don’t have the authority to tell you if you can stay or not. Now, if you prove to mean no harm I can vouch for both of you, but as to you staying permanently....well I’m gonna have to take that up with Asgore. He’s my authority and pretty much has final say.” Undyne says.

”But I thought you were in charge?” Josh asks.

”I am, of the camp. Asgore put me in charge of the scouting camps in the area. As Captain of the Royal Guard, the security of monster-kind is my responsibility and sworn duty. But King still beats Captain.” She replies with a joking sneer.

Captain of the Royal Guard? So she is the leader of their army? I didn’t think she could get more scary but I was wrong. And we need the king’s permission to stay? Is he friendly? Does he even like humans?

”The trip would barely take long flying, but seeing as humans don’t have wings we’ll have to take the long way. Don’t worry, once the King hears your story you’ll pretty much be guaranteed to stay. He’s a big softy!” Undyne states confidently. 

Our story? What exactly did Josh tell them?

”Welp, sounds like you two have got quite the journey tomorrow. You should probably make sure you’re well rested and fed.” Sans says while sending a wink towards me. “But first, i don’t think I ever got a proper introduction. Hey there, I’m Sans the skeleton.”

He stretches his hand towards me looking for a handshake. I suppose I did faint before introducing myself last time, so I hesitantly grab his hand.

”(Y-y/n)” my voice is so soft that I’m surprised he hear it. His eye-sockets are fascinating to the point I want to stare yet I don’t want to be rude. But how do those eye-lights work?

”Well aren’t you the shy one, huh (Y/n)? Like a little sparrow.” Sans chuckles.

My head immediately ducks down in embarrassment. He isn’t wrong, but it I still still embarrassing.

”I thought she reminded me more of a squirrel.” Josh snickers at my expense. How could he? Have I not been embarrassed enough?

SANS P.O.V.

The kid had told us everything. Why they had run, and why they couldn’t go back. Should have know something was going on, actually I did but Asgore was insistent that the monsters not initiate something. Still, hearing about what’s going on with the humans is enough to get my nonexistent blood boiling.

I have to say, it surprised me that two humans would have the courage to walk into monster territory after hearing all the stories told about us. But now, I think that this could work out. After all, Asgore is a big softy.

What concerns me is the girl. Both humans had been in bad shape, but she had seemed so....lost. Like she didn’t know what she was supposed to do. After hearing about what their life had been like I shouldn’t be surprised but...I can’t help but wonder just how bad it was for her soul to be in the condition it is in.


	6. Wanna Hot Cat?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Raven symbolism: The raven is often associated with loss and ill omen. Yet it’s actual symbolism is complex. As a talking bird, The raven also represents insight and prophecy, but as a carrion bird they are also associated with death and lost souls.

YOUR P.O.V.

I have never felt better in my life.

The monsters were so hospitable to us! They were nothing like the legends made them out to be. When Sans had mentioned getting some rest to recover, i thought he had meant the day. Nope. We have been in the camp for about a week! every time we asked if it was time to leave yet, Undyne and Papyrus took one look at us and said no. They always seemed to have a reason though.

”You kidding punk? You look so skinny that I’m surprised you can walk! You need to eat so you’ll have the strength to make it.”

”HUMAN! HAVE YOU NO OTHER CLOTHES? THE TRIP CAN GET RATHER COLD! ILL MAKE SURE SOME ARE CRAFTED FOR YOU RIGHT AWAY!”

”Nah, i sent a letter to Asgore telling him about you guys, gotta wait for a reply ya know?” 

So for the last week me and Josh have been resting and eating. We still get exercise though. It was hard not too with all of the monsters around. Apparently, a dog monster is much more friendly than the flea-ridden wild dogs that will sometimes sneak into the village. These monsters would constantly walk up to us and bark happily, expecting a pet or a treat. Of course, this had terrified me.

”It’s ok buddy. Their bark is worse than their bite. Trust me.” Sans said in front of me.

Sans was constantly around me and Josh. Apparently Undyne had assigned him to keep an eye on us while we recuperated. I am not sure why though, seeing as he is always sleeping instead of watching us. Most of the time the dogs are the actual ones to look after us, but I was always too scared to approach them, so Sans eventually stepped in.

”You just gotta get closer and touch his head and rub a little. It’s called petting and they love it. Believe me you’ll become their new best pal.” He reassures.

It does little to convince me as I continue to hide behind him. In front of us is one of the smaller of the guard dogs. Josh was currently around five of them. They were trying to teach him a game, but I never figured out what it was. Something about kings? And spades and hearts? I’m too scared to get closer to find out.

”Ok, come on.” Sans suddenly says after letting out a small chuckle.

I had assumed he meant he was going to escort me back to the guest-tent that me and Josh were staying in like he normally does every day. I was wrong. He had turned around and firmly, but gently grabbed my wrist and slowly started guiding me closer to the dog monster. I immediately froze up and tried to take my hand back, but his grip was too strong. He didn’t even flinch.

”W-wait!” I tried to say.

”There are a whole lot more monsters where you are going than here. If you’re too scared to interact with Lesser here, than you won’t stand a chance. It’s ok, he isn’t going to hurt you.” He says. His voice is soft and calming.

By now we have reached the dog monster. He tilts his head as he looks at me and his tongue flops out of his mouth. He does seem rather cute, but my eyes involuntarily wander to the claws he has on his paws.

”Ok, now that we are here.” Sans still has a grip on my wrist, and despite me shaking my head numerous times he starts lifting my hand towards Lesser’s head. “Just go a little slowly. You don’t have to be scared of him.” My fingers are just centimeters away. My eyes wander to the dog’s sharp teeth. I quickly shut my eyes tightly and refuse to open them. If I’m about to lose my fingers, I would rather not see it happen.

I tense up as soon as they touch something soft.

”See? No harm done. In fact he likes it.” I hear Sans say.

My eyes immediately snap open as I stare at my hand. It is now resting on top of the dog monster’s head, and it’s definitely still attached. In fact, the monster doesn’t seem bothered at all. I slowly move my hand back and forth like Josh had told me to do earlier. Immediately the dog wags his tail rapidly and lets out a quiet bark. I can’t help but giggle. The fur is so soft!

But I do jump back when his neck starts to get long. Did I do that?! Did I hurt him!?

Sans starts laughing at my reaction. “You’re ok little sparrow. That is perfectly normal, in fact it means he’s happy. Go ahead.” By now he has completely let go of my hand and is standing a little farther away so that he is not shielding me from the adorable monster.

After making sure I actually didn’t hurt him, I continue to pet the dog monster. I feel my eyes widen as his neck seems to grow longer and longer, eventually to where I cannot reach a suitable spot for petting. I look up in wonder at how tall Lesser is now, and I laugh.

Sans immediately looks at me in surprise. I don’t blame him either, for not once have I actually laughed since I got here. In fact, when was the last time I laughed at all? Why should it matter? The sight of such a long neck seems to be hilarious in my eyes. Sans’s shocked face slowly absorbs into an expression I do not recognize, but it does not seem like a bad one.

I walk up to Sans and start tugging on his arm towards where Lesser has joined Josh and the other dog monsters in their game. I watch as his neck slowly reforms back to what it was before I pet him. I want to know if the other monsters have as soft fur as Lesser does.

”Ok ok. No need to rush.” He says. I do not know the expression he has when he smiles, but it causes me to feel a fluttering sensation in my chest. Huh, wonder what that was.

”Finally brave enough to come over I see.” Josh snickers at me. I simply huff and turn my attention to the game. We did not have these cards, so I have no idea what the object is.

”It’s called poker. You see, to play you have to-“ Josh starts, but I tune him out. I don’t mean to, but one look at the game is enough for me to know that i won’t understand anyway. It looks rather complicated. But looking around, I feel a little less afraid of the sharp claws and teeth. In fact, I’m not quite sure why I was so scared earlier. 

SANS P.O.V.

I let out a quiet chuckle at the humans. (Y/n) clearly has no idea what Josh is trying to tell her. Her attention had obviously been stolen by the soft fur of the Dog Squad. I think back to how scared she had been to approach Lesser, and how bad she was shaking when I pretty much dragged her closer. It had hurt. I didn’t want to make her feel scared, but she had needed to get more comfortable with monster-kind. King Asgore is surrounded by other monsters that I know she’ll find a lot more frightening.

But, the discomfort had been worth it after seeing her expression after petting Lesser Dog. Her whole face has lit up and I feel she could, she would have had stars in her eyes. It was adorable and I knew that i would do anything to see that expression again. She was definitely getting better. Her face had a bit more color to her and she had a more healthy glow around her.

Undyne had wanted to start the trip immediately, but I knew that if we had done that we would have scared her off. Josh had been doing pretty well in getting to know monsters, but she had cowered behind Papyrus every time one came close to her. So I gave Undyne a few other reason too. Thankfully she had been understanding and had agreed to let me try to get (Y/n) more comfortable around us. Not that I was going to listen if she said no anyway.

But her laugh! I have not her laugh once since she got here until now. She barely even talked. But when I had heard her laugh I swear my soul had flipped over. Looking over at her now I can see that she has turned to giving her pets to the other dogs, thoroughly distracting them and allowing Josh to win the round. She doesn’t even realize it and continues to pet with a happy expression on her face. Yeah, I could get used to this.

”Hey Sans.”

I turn around to see Undyne approach quietly. She was obviously trying to not attract the attention of our guests.

”So?” She asked. There was no need to clarify, I knew what she wanted to know. 

“Did Asgore message back?” I ask.

”Yep. In fact he isn’t starting to wonder what is taking us so long. He wants to meet them and hear the story from their perspectives. All we are waiting for is you and the girl.” Undyne is also looking at the strange duo. She wouldn’t say she had gotten attached quite yet, but she definitely wouldn’t mind if they stuck around a bit longer.

I turn back to look at (Y/n). Today was progress, but is she ready for a place as big as the capital? Where monsters were overflooding the streets and the king would decide her fate? I hate to admit it, but we have kept Asgore waiting for too long. She might not be ready, but we can’t afford to wait much longer. Even if her fear causes me to feel a dark instinct to protect.

I give a small nod to Undyne and she flashes a big smile before stomping over towards the table.

”GOOD NEWS PUNKS!!! WE’RE LEAVING TOMORROW!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry It’s kinda short. But that scene with the dog though! (Y/n) is slowly getting to know that monsters actually are friendly and huge softies :3 Until next time cookies!


	7. New Stuff!

(YOUR P.O.V.

I felt anxious as I tried to smooth my dress out for the millionth time in the past hour. Today was the day. We were finally going to begin our journey to King Asgore. The monster who would decide our fate. I must admit I am terrified of the thought.

Josh and I had no possessions, so we didn’t have anything to pack. Not to mention we truly had no knowledge of what supplies one would need for such a journey. According to Undyne it would take a few days by foot, then we would encounter a road where we can secure a vehicle to take us the rest of the way. An actual vehicle! I had only heard of such devices, and occasionally caught a glimpse of the terrifying mechanisms. 

I also learned that monsters normally don’t use them. They are mainly for if anyone is hurt and cannot fly, but monsters prefer flight as their mode of transportation. Apparently they truly had been stuck under a mountain, with little space to fly freely and without restrictions. So who was to blame them for wishing to enjoy the freedom of the open sky? Not me.

”Hey (Y/n)! Look at this!” I hear Josh yell from outside.

I immediately assume something bad might have happened and rush towards the door, only to barely peak my head in case there’s danger. But I don’t find danger, instead I find Josh standing with Papyrus, both with excited looks on their faces. Calming myself down, I notice that Josh isn’t wearing the same grey clothes he had worn since escaping the village. Instead he is wearing an orange shirt with blue pants that look much stronger than the thin material that his old pants were made of.

I can’t help but rush over and pinch the bottom hem of it to see what it feels like. I was right, it was definitely thicker and stronger.

”It’s called ‘jeans’ and they are actually really comfortable! Papyrus managed to find new clothes that would fit us! They are really colorful too! Try some on!” Josh rambles before excitingly shoving more material into my arms.

Papyrus only laughs at my bewildered expression. 

“I TOLD YOU THAT THE JOURNEY WOULD BE TOO COLD FOR THOSE....ER, NO OFFENCE, RAGS THAT YOU WEAR. SO I PROCURED SOME NEW CLOTHING FOR YOU TO WEAR! I DO HOPE THAT YOU FIND SOME THAT YOU ENJOY!” He proudly states.

I can’t help but fall in love with every piece of clothing. They are so colorful and unique! Nothing like the same grey clothing I had to make day after day. These were beautiful masterpieces compared to those. I wonder how they are made? Can I make clothing as beautiful as these?

There were many colors. Red, Purple, Yellow, and Blue as well! And so many different designs! Some were decorated with flower patterns (how?!), and others were designed with beautiful swirls. How could I possibly choose!? 

“IS SHE ALRIGHT HUMAN JOSH?” Papyrus asked, sounding confused and genuinely worried.

Josh lets out a snicker before answering. “Yeah, she is probably just as excited as me. She made clothes for our village you know? But never with the options of so many colors. And how are there so many?!” 

Our faces can only be described as absolute wonder and glee. But Papyrus seems to have another expression hiding behind his happy one. I don’t recognize it, but it makes me feel....unpleasant.

”OH, I SEE. SO YOU ONLY HAD ACCESS TO ONE COLOR. THAT IS A RATHER....WELL ANYWAY, I HAVE A CLOSE FRIEND IN THE CAPITAL WHO HAS QUITE THE EYE FOR FASHION! WHEN HE HEARD OF TWO HUMANS IN NEED OF EXTRA CLOTHING, HE WAS MOST GRACIOUS TO GIFT US WITH THESE! UNFORTUNATELY HE WAS UNABLE TO SHIP A MAJORITY OF THEM, BUT NO WORRIES. WE CAN MOST LIKELY RETRIEVE THEM ONCE WE ARRIVE AT THE CAPITAL.”

There was more?!

LE TIME SKIP

The next thing I knew, I had spent a good half-hour in my indecisiveness. They were all beautiful! How could I only choose one shirt?! Eventually Josh had grabbed a dark green shirt out of the pile and shoved it into my arms.

”Just wear this one for now ok? It kind of fits the situation anyway.” (See picture above for reference) 

Well, it was one of my top choices anyway, so I agreed. Quickly rushing back into the tent I hurry to change before realizing I should probably clean myself first. I wouldn’t make want to ruin this new shirt with dirt! Not after Papyrus had gone through the trouble of finding it for me. Only problem is that I still haven’t figured out how to use the shower. Back in the village we had public bathing areas where there was only one knob to turn the water on, and it was always freezing cold. But here, there were two. One for cold, and one for hot. Hot water! And somehow I could never get it the right temperature, I always seemed to burn myself.

Oh well, it was to like I was used to the cold anyway. So I quickly wash myself with cold water and hurriedly dry with one of the towels that Undyne had given me. It was so soft! Monsters were amazing! They had colorful clothing, and warm water for bathing, and soft towels, and strong houses. Josh was right, this place is much better than the village.

”Yo punk! You in here?! We gotta go while we still have daylight!” I hear Undyne yell.

Quickly finishing, i pull on my new clothes and rush out to find Josh and our new monster friends waiting by a small pile of baggage. Undyne and Papyrus seem to be having a contest on who can carry more, and no one has seemed to have noticed my presence. So I quietly walk over to where Josh is watching the competition with an amused expression on his face, and tap him on the shoulder.

His expression is immediate as he lets out a small Yelp and quickly turns around in a defensive stance. His surprised expression quickly morphs into a mildly annoyed one however, once he notices that I am the source of his jump scare.

”Yeesh Cousin! Try to not be so quiet next time! I nearly slapped you!”

I only grin sheepishly at him before turning to Undyne and Papyrus.

”HUMAN! WOULD YOU LIKE FOR ME TO CARRY YOUR BAG FOR YOU?”

”NYAGH! No way! I’m going to carry her bag for her! Ain’t that right punk?!”

”UNDYNE!! IF THE HUMAN WISHES FOR ME TO CARRY HER BAG THAN YOU MUST RESPECT IT!”

”She never said that she wanted you to carry her bag! Besides, I’m obviously the strongest one here. Her puny bag wouldn’t pose any challenge at all! You just want to carry more bags than me!”

”NONSENSE! I AM MERELY SHOWING WHAT AN AMAZING FRIEND I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, AM BY OFFERING TO RELIEVE THE HUMAN FROM THE BURDENS OF HAVING TO CARRY SUCH A HEAVY BAG THROUGHOUT OUR JOURNEY!”

While saying that, Papyrus moves to pose in a heroic fashion with his cape flapping in the wind. Wait, there wasn’t any wind? 

Josh moves close to me and whispers in my ear while the two monsters continue to argue on who will carry my bag, apparently it was the last one so whoever carried officially got to win the strange competition. 

“Don’t worry, they did this to me too. It’s actually funny to watch. By the way, the new clothes really do look good on you.” He continues to stand close to me as we wait for the dispute to be solved. But something is missing here.

”Where is Sans?” I quietly say, my voice drowned out by the loud monsters a few feet away. I’m not used to people speaking so loudly unless it was to give an order. Most people in my village didn’t raise their voice at all, due to the fear of a soldier mistaking it for defiance. Luckily, Josh was able to just barely make out what I said; after a few moments for my question to register.

”I’m actually not sure. He is supposed to be here, but I haven’t seen him.” Josh says while looking around as if to see if he could spot the strange, shorter skeleton.

”Pfft Sans? I’m not surprised if we have to go hunt him down or something.” Undyne chimes in, which led to a growl as Papyrus uses the distraction to add my bag to his pile.

”YES, MY BROTHER IS PROBABLY NAPPING IN A TREE SOMEWHERE. THE LAZYBONES! I TOLD HIM TO BE HERE AN HOUR AGO AND HE STILL HASNT ARRIVED! I SWEAR HE IS MORE LAZY THAN THOSE TREE CREATURES WITH THE THREE CLAWS!” Papyrus exclaims, his feathers ruffling in irritation.

”heh, didn’t mean to ruffle your feathers there Paps. And I think they’re called sloths.”

The sudden voice right beside me causes me to jump and almost fall if Josh hadn’t immediately grabbed my shoulder to steady me. 

“SANS! THERE YOU ARE, WE WERE JUST FINISHED WITH PACKING! STOP BEING SUCH A LAZYBONES AND CARRY YOUR OWN WEIGHT!”

Sans stood right beside me with his eye-sockets closed and with the most relaxed stance I’ve ever seen. He appears to be chuckling at what Papyrus said, but makes no other move to actually carry out his instructions. This, in turn, causes Papyrus to huff and turn back to Undyne. Sans then cracks open one of his eye-sockets to look at me with an amused expression, before it morphs into a slightly shocked one.

Neither of us say anything, he just continues to stare. It only lasted for a few moments, but it was enough to make me uncomfortable. Did I do something wrong? He luckily seems to notice my nervous stance as his expression morphs back into his usual, laid-back expression, but he still remained slightly stiff.

”Hey there, I can see that Paps showed ya those new clothes huh?”

My clothes? Was there something wrong with them? Was I not supposed to wear these specific clothes? Did he not want me to wear green? Or was it the words, the design on the front, the shoes? Did I really do something offensive?

Sans seems to pick up on my slightly distressed look as he immediately back tracks.

”I mean, they seem really comfy! Uh, just not used to seeing you without those grey clothes you always wear that’s all. Hehe uh.......they look nice on you though, ......don’t worry you didn’t do anything wrong.” 

I let out a small sigh of relief at his assurance. I don’t want to mess anything up before we even get a chance to speak to the king.

”Ugh! Are you two nerds done flirting yet?! We need to get going!” Undyne screeches.

I dont what it is that Undyne said, but it made Sans bury his head into his jacket while letting out a low grumbling noise. Josh looks just as confused as me, but neither of us say anything as Undyne and Papyrus start directing us towards the outskirts of the camp.

“Come on Paps! Just let me carry it!” Undyne screeches before once more attempting to grab at one of the bags in Papyrus’s load. Which he swiftly and expertly dodges.

”I PROPOSE ANOTHER IDEA! SANS!!!” 

Sans seems to jolt out of his thoughts as Papyrus screams his name loud enough for the whole camp to hear.

”Uh...yeah bro?”

”SINCE UNDYNE AND I CANNOT COME UP WITH A SOLUTION, THEN YOU SHALL CARRY IT! THAT WAY UNDYNE AND I WILL HAVE THE SAME AMOUNT OF BAGS AND YOU WILL AT LEAST BE ACTING SLIGHTLY LESS LAZY? NYEH NYEH NYEH!”

Papyrus leaves no room for argument as he swiftly shoves my bag into Sans arms and turns back to Undyne. Sans only looks a little dumbfounded, as he clearly needs a moment to figure out what had just happened. It clicks for me that he had only just arrived and had no idea what they were competing over.

”I can carry it. It’s the clothes Papyrus gave me anyway.” I say, once again quietly.

Sans seems to think only for a second before adjusting the bag unto his back so it won’t get in the way of his wings.

”ABSOLUTE NONSENSE HUMAN! YOU ARE BOTH STILL VERY MUCH MALNOURISHED FROM YOUR TIME IN THE WOODS AND IT WOULD GO AGAINST THE RULES OF FRIENDSHIP IF WE WERE TO ALLOW YOU TO JOURNEY WHILE ALSO STRUGGLING TO CARRY YOUR LUGGAGE!”

Sans chuckles at that. “Like he said, you gotta keep yer strength up. Don’t worry about it little sparrow.”

Right, that has also been happening lately. Sans has decided to call me ’little sparrow’ instead of my actual name. I’m not quite sure why though, does he have problems with remembering names? He calls Josh ’pal’ or ‘buddy’ too so that must be it. He did say that my nervous nature did remind him of a sparrow so maybe that’s why?

”HUMANS!! I ALMOST FORGOT!” Papyrus suddenly screeches before hurriedly dropping his load unto the ground and digging through its contents. 

Me and Josh can only watch confused as Papyrus continues to search for whatever he is looking for, letting out a small “nyeh!” When he finally finds it.

”BEHOLD! THE GREAT PAPYRUS HAS RETRIEVED MORE GIFTS TO HELP YOU ON THE JOURNEY!”

In his hands looked to be a pair of scarfs and coats. The only difference between the scarfs appeared to be the color, as one was red and the other orange. Josh was the first to respond.

”Uh, Gee Papyrus you really didn’t have to. You’ve already given us so much-“

Papyrus lets out a loud tutting sound before giving the orange scarf and one of the coats to Josh, pretty much shoving it into his arms.

”OF COURSE I DIDNT HAVE TO, BUT I WANTED TO. AND AS FRIENDS IT IS IMPORTANT I CARE FOR YOUR WELL BEING. BESIDES, I DID INFORM YOU THAT THE TRIP WOULD GET RATHER COLD DIDNT I? YOU WILL NEED THESE TO STAY WARM, I WOULD HAVE GIVEN THEM TO YOU EARLIER BUT I HAD WANTED IT TO BE A SURPRISE!”

He gently hands me my own scarf and coat after noticing that I wouldn’t try to resist like Josh had, seeing as it wouldn’t do much good. The scarf was really soft and warm, so I wasted no time in wrapping it around my neck before looking at the coat. It...actually looked pretty similar to the jacket Sans was always wearing. It was thick, but not too thick where it would become annoying and soft fur coated the rim and inside of the hood. It held the scent of pine trees and something else I didn’t recognize, but it reminded me of the tomato sauce Papyrus uses for his spaghetti. It was actually really comfortable and warm. A welcome feeling to the chilly air. It was even the same color as Sans’s jacket.

Glancing at Josh I noticed that his jacket was actually different than the one given to me. It was a dark brown and didn’t have any fur in the hood. It also didn’t seem to look as soft as mine.

”FORGIVE ME FOR NOT GETTING THE SAME KIND! IT WAS RATHER DIFFICULT TO FIND ONE IN THE SMALLER HUMANS SIZE! LUCKILY, I MANAGED TO FIND ONE OF SANS’S OLD JACKETS FOR YOU TO USE. DO NOT WORRY I MADE SURE IT WAS THOROUGHLY CLEANED! BUT! I DID NOT HAVE SUCH PROBLEMS WITH THE SCARFS! THEY ARE RATHER SIMPLE TO MAKE AFTER ALL.”

”You made these Papyrus?” Josh asked with a surprised look on his face.

”WELL OF COURSE! AS A SIGN OF OUR FRIENDSHIP I MADE SURE TO MAKE YOU ONLY THE BEST KIND OF SCARF TO KEEP YOUR NECKS WARM! I WOULD HATE FOR IT TO GET COLD!”

Josh went on to thank Papyrus with a look of admiration and shock. But I was shocked for a different reason than the scarfs. Did Papyrus just say that this used to be Sans old jacket? It was too small to fit him now, but it would explain why it looked like his. I slowly turn to where Sans has a dazed look on his face. To get his attention I gently tug on the sleeve of his jacket and let out a small, squeaking sound when he suddenly jumps at the touch.

”Th-thank you.....f-for t-the jacket I m-mean.” I stutter out.

He averts his eyes shyly and rubs the back of his neck with one of his clothed hands. 

“O-Oh, Uh...no problem there sparrow. Couldn’t just let ya walk in the cold. Hehe doesn’t fit me anymore anyway.”

Regardless I give him a small smile. I’m sure it might not be the same for monsters, but to give someone anything at all in the village was a sign of friendship and sometimes affection. We didn’t have much to give in the first place after all. For the monsters to be so generous showed that maybe we really do have a chance to live here.

”LETS MOVE ALREADY! THE CAPITAL AINT GONNA COME TO US!” Undyne screeches before stomping off.

Well, time to start walking I suppose. Hopefully this journey will lead to the freedom Josh talks about with such happiness.


	8. Important Authors Note! Need to See!

Ok, so apparently my device made a pretty bad mistake on the chapter titled “run”. Instead of putting the chapter I had wanted to put, it had put the next chapter instead so I had two identical chapters and one missing chapter instead. If you want to know what really happened, then please go back and read the chapter. I’m so so sooooooo sorry about that and I hope to continue the story without anymore problems. I would have fixed it earlier, but for some reason it was fine to me until earlier today. I would have never noticed it if a few of the readers hadn’t pointed it out, so thank you!


	9. Journey Start!

YOUR P.O.V.

The walk was silent other than Undyne and Papyrus continuing to compete in loud voices. At one point of the trip, I had noticed that Sans was no longer carrying my bag, but before I could ask him he caught my gaze and held a phalange to his teeth with a wink. He then pointed to the luggage that Papyrus was carrying. There on the top was my bag. I had to keep myself from laughing as no one else had seemed to notice it quite yet.

I let out a tiny sigh as I secure my new scarf around my neck. We have been walking for hours now, but I knew we still weren’t close enough to the vehicle station. Undyne had said it would take a few days, which means that we would have to camp in the woods. The only time I have done something similar was when we had first trespassed on monster land. But unlike last time, we will have friends who are actually experienced in this area.

Friends?

I look at the monsters that walk ahead of me. Am I allowed to consider them friends? They have been very kind and generous, but they never mentioned a desire to be friends with me....well, perhaps Papyrus would consider us friends. He seems very kind. But what about Undyne and Sans? Do they consider this friendship? I don’t want to assume-

I jump slightly when I feel someone gently grab my arm. Quickly turning, I find Sans holding a phalange to his teeth before pointing into the trees. I can only gaze at him confused until I look in the direction he was pointing at. 

What is that?

There was an animal, and it kind of looked like one of those horses that the soldiers sometimes rode.....except different? It looked like it had tree branches growing out of its head and its legs looked skinnier than a horse’s. It had a smaller nose too. It also didn’t have a mane, or a tail of hair. Its fur was a brownish color, and its eyes were pure black. It appeared to be grazing.

I only look at it with confusion and wonder. I’ve never seen something so strange, .....well besides my monster companions of course.

”Wanna closer look?” Sans whispers.

I glance nervously at where Josh and the others continue to walk farther away. They remain unaware that we stopped.

”It’s fine. We can easily catch up. Besides, we were going to stop to set up camp a little ways away. They won’t get too far.” Sans reassures me, his voice remaining in a whisper.

I slowly nod my head, not wanting to make any noise that would frighten away the wonderous creature. Sans gently grabs my arm, and quietly guides me closer. The way he guides me is expertly, as if he was used to silently walking through the forest. He only stopped once we got within at least three steps from the creature. We were crouching down, hidden by the forest trees, but the creature seems to sense our presence anyway as he perks his head up and stares right where we hide.

Frightened that we would startle the creature into running away, I grip Sans jacket and remain as still as I can. But then Sans starts to move. I grip his jacket sleeve tighter in an attempt to tell him to stay, but he only gently pries my fingers off and slowly stands up. To my surprise, the animal doesnt run. It only continues to stare at Sans with its black eyes.

Sans says nothing, only slowly approaches it. He slowly lifts his hand in a placating manner, and for a second I feel a jolt of fear course through me as the creature almost runs. But instead it lowers its head and continues to graze as if Sans wasn’t there. Sans then proceeds to gently pet its back.

I stare in awe, but then Sans beckons me to come closer. I slightly shake my head. Sans might be able to approach it, but surely I would cause it to flee! I am not like Sans, and I am not sure how to get closer without making noise and scaring it. But Sans just beckons me again, so I try to keep as quiet and slow as possible and walk closer. When I am right next to Sans, I gently reach out my hand and just barely touch the creature’s back. It makes a small movement, and I grow concerned that I had frightened it, but it shakes its head slightly and continues to graze.

Its fur wasn’t as soft as I had assumed, but that didn’t stop me from gently running my hand over its back. I can only look at it in wonder. Monster territory really was filled with unimaginable things! Only they weren’t as terrifying as we were told.

SANS P.O.V.

Thank you Paps.

He was the one who saw the deer first, and had pointed it out to me when no one was looking. We could both tell that (Y/n) still wasn’t confident enough to trust us completely. But we didn’t know what else we could do to make her more comfortable. Her cousin had mentioned how everything was so new to them, and how they would probably not know much on the mountains or creatures on it.

(Y/n), she had been so deep in thought. It was easy to tell she had once again been doubting herself. She was actually pretty expressive. So I easily slowed down my pace until I was next to her. She hadn’t even noticed me until I had grabbed her arm. Scaring her had been worth it once she noticed the deer.

She hadnt known what it was. Her confusion and awe showing through her eyes. And when I managed to get her close enough to touch it? I don’t think I’ve seen an expression with such wonder in it. It reminded me of when Paps first tried nicecream. Huh....I should get her to try some too. I wonder if she will have the same expression.

Of course, as much as I would have liked to stay and watch her try not to scare it, we had to leave the deer and catch up with the others. The sun was starting to go down, and I would rather her be somewhere warmer. I’m pretty sure the others have set up camp by now.

So I slowly guide her away. At first she is disappointed, but it quickly morphs into understanding once she sees the darkening sky. 

YOUR P.O.V.

“What was that?” I quietly ask as Sans leads the way.

I hadn’t realized how long I had been gazing at the creature. I had almost asked to stay longer, but then I had noticed the sky had grown darker. Josh would be concerned once he realizes I wasn’t with him. 

“Hm? Oh, it’s called a Mule Deer. They live in these mountains. Yeah, I thought you might like it.” Sans said, his face bearing the same grin it always bore.

A Mule Deer? What a strange name. I glance at Sans through the corner of my eye. He always seems to have the same expression doesn’t he? My gaze slowly glides over to his wings. Every monster I have met seemed to have wings, but none were pitch black like Sans. Even Undyne had a bit of white in her wings. But Sans’ wings were pitch black, and they reminded me of a dream I had. Which one? I can’t remember.

”Do all monsters have wings?” I suddenly blurt out.

Sans looks at me in surprise, and I quickly cover my mouth. How could just suddenly ask that?! It could have been offensive! And I am in no position to demanding any answers for anything. I offended him didn’t I?! But Sans suddenly lets out a small chuckle.

”You know it’s ok to ask questions right? Your cousin already asked plenty, and we don’t fault you for being curious. It’s understandable.” He shrugs, his grin widening only slightly. “And yeah, all of us do. It’s kinda one of the only things every monster has in common. Every monster is different though.”

”D-different?” I hesitantly ask, still not sure if it was actually alright to ask.

”Sure. Different monsters have different wings. Like me and Paps. We are both skeleton monsters, but we have different wings. And some monsters can have similar wings, but look completely different otherwise. Makes us all unique.”

”Unique.” I whisper.

Is unique a good thing? In the village, we were taught to follow orders and nothing else. I made the same clothes every day, and ate the same food. Everyone dressed the same and everyone spoke the same. Wasn’t that what makes us stronger? But....the clothes were unique. They were all kinds of different colors and designs. And they were....nice. I enjoyed them. 

”Welp, looks like we caught up. Told you they wouldn’t get far.” Sans suddenly stops, and I narrowly miss bumping into him.

He was right. Undyne, Papyrus, and Josh all sit near a fire and talk. They notice us almost immediately.

”AH BROTHER, YOU HAVE FINALLY MANAGED TO ARRIVE. DID YOU ENJOY THE DEER SMALLER HUMAN?” Papyrus says.

I shyly nod my head and look at Josh in worry. Was he mad I suddenly disappeared?

”It’s ok Cousin. I was concerned, but Papyrus told me how Sans was going to show you a deer. I must admit, I’m not quite sure what a deer is. Undyne said she would find one and show me tomorrow. Was it interesting?”

I nod and sit next to him, eager to try and explain what it was like. I am not sure if my description was very good, but everyone seemed satisfied as I attempted to do so anyway. The monsters only looked at me with amused expressions, and Josh listened intently. 

“It sounds wonderful! I hope I can see one tomorrow.”

”WORRY NOT, THE GREAT PAPYRUS WILL MAKE IT HIS PERSONAL MISSION TO INSURE YOU ARE ABLE TO SEE A DEER.”

”Huh!? I thought I was going to show him one?!” Undyne barked in.

”OH.....THAN I SHALL ASSIST YOU!”

This was nice. Despite their voices being raised, Undyne and Papyrus didn’t look angry. In fact, I am not quite sure when I started enjoying their loud voices. I feel much more relaxed than when I first met them. Perhaps.....I can actually consider them friends?

TIMESKIP

I’m running. I don’t know where I am....where am I? I’m alone, but I can hear noises. They surround me. Growling sounds, and loud banging noises. I keep running. I don’t know why, but I feel like something terrible will happen if I don’t. I’m in a forest, but it doesn’t look like the same one where I met Papyrus. It was darker, and not as colorful.

Suddenly I find myself with a cliff in front of me. I just barely manage to stop before I can tumble off the edge. Whatever is chasing me is getting closer. What do I do?! Where is everyone?! 

I see movement out of the corner of my eye. Looking up, I see a raven flying in circles above me. It looked like the same ravens that would pick at dead animals in the village, except this one looked cleaner. I continued to stare at the bird until I hear a twig snap. Quickly I stare terrified at the trees as a large creature steps out. It looked like that same dog that attacked me in the woods, the one Papyrus saved me from. Except this one was much much bigger and had eyes the color of blood.

It stepped closer, flashing its teeth and letting out a low growl. It takes another step closer, which causes me to take a step back. But I hadn’t realized how close I was to the edge. I feel a scream erupt from my throat as I feel myself fall backwards.

I jolt awake. What was that?!

I’ve never had such a horrible nightmare. I could still feel my heartbeat quicken in fear just by thinking about it. I....I fell....and that strange dog....Perhaps if I breathe some fresh air, I will feel better. Josh used to tell me that it helps.

I slowly exit the tent I shared with Undyne. Luckily, I didn’t wake her up as I snuck out. There had only been two tents, so the monsters had decided that one would be the girls tent and one would be the boys tent. I slowly drag myself towards where the fire hadn’t been, but it’s been reduced to embers by now. Still, I get close enough for the last remaining heat to reach me.

”Wow, you are up late.”

I whirl around to find Sans. Why is it always him?

”eh, but I guess I am too so I can’t really judge.”

I stay quiet as he sits down next to me. For some reason, I find my gaze returning to his wings. His feathers shine slightly in the moonlight, and it reminds me of the raven in my dream. More questions begin to fill my head, but I didn’t want to push my limits. I had already asked him questions earlier, so wouldn’t it be rude to ask more?

”*sigh* go ahead. I told you it was fine, I can tell you wanna ask something.” Sans says.

I whip my head towards the fire in embarrassment. How does he always seem to know what I’m thinking? Well...he did I say I could ask right? So it won’t offend him?

”Uh....What kind of...wings d-do you have?” I ask quietly.

He snickers, and I begin to think it might be a bad question, but then he answers. “Eh, it’s raven wings. Some might think they are crow wings though, I never bothered to confirm which one.” He spreads the wing closest to me so I can look. Not a speck of any other color other than black. I have the strangest urge to touch the feathers, but even I know that would be pushing limits. 

“That it?” Sans asks.

”What’s it like to fly?” My confidence slowly begins to build.

”Hm, I’m not quite sure how to describe it. It’s......free...” he says, his grin grows relaxed.

”BROTHER? IT IS MY TURN TO KEEP WATCH— OH! SMALLER HUMAN! I SEE YOU ARE AWAKE AS WELL. YOU SHOULD GET SOME SLEEP, WE HAVE MORE TRAVELING TO DO TOMORROW.” Papyrus’ voice is quieter than normal, but it still keeps its excited tone.

”She was just curious about monster wings bro.” Sans says, his eye-sockets close and he suddenly lies down on his back. His arms support his skull and his elbows stick out.

”WELL, THE GREAT PAPYRUS WOULD LOVE TO HELP. I MYSELF HAVE FALCON WINGS! THEY ARE VERY STRONG, AND GOOD FOR FLYING OBVIOUSLY. WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE?”

I nod rapidly, and Papyrus stretches his wings out. I can see the entire wingspan, and it truly was impressive. They held more color than Sans’ but both wings were equally beautiful. 

“WELL, I WOULD LOVE TO TELL YOU MORE, BUT I INSIST YOU REST FOR TOMORROWS JOURNEY. SLEEP WELL!”

My nightmare comes to mind, but I know that Papyrus has a point. I can’t afford to be tired when I’ll have to walk tomorrow. I thank both of them and return to my tent. This time my dreams are filled with a sky holding ravens and falcons.


	10. Journey (Part 2)

YOUR P.O.V.

I let out a yawn as I walk beside Josh. Despite returning to the tent, I had been unable to sleep like Papyrus asked me to. When I finally had managed to doze off, Undyne woke me up to announce breakfast. It had been delicious of course. All the monster food is. Something called muffins.

”Are you sure you are ok (Y/n)? You look as if you might fall over.” Josh whispers.

I nod my head with a small smile. This isn’t the first time I’ve missed sleep after all, but life continues on and I cant just sleep now. There had always been work to be completed, and sleeping in meant punishment. Josh only gives me a concerned look before turning his attention back to the monsters. They continued their strange conversations as always.

We walked for quiet some time. At one point Undyne had picked Josh up and ran off announcing she was going to show him a deer like she promised. She was too fast for me so I stayed back with Sans while Papyrus raced after them. They met back up with us about an hour later; Josh had pure happiness in his eyes.

”Ok, Paps you’re first. See you up ahead.” Undyne suddenly said after a little bit of more walking. 

Papyrus? First for what?

”VERY WELL, I SHALL MEET UP WITH YOU LATER FRIENDS.” And with that Papyrus stretched out his wings and took off into the air, effectively blowing my hair into my face. But I didn’t mind as I gazed up at where he flew off. It had looked so amazing to fly.

”Where is he going?” Josh asked.

”You expect us to just walk the entire time? We gotta exercise our wings too you know. We just decided that one of us would fly around and patrol for a bit, then come back and another would take off. That way we can still use our wings. It’s fine, he won’t be gone for too long.” Undyne responds, snickering.

I continue to gaze up at where Papyrus had flown off, but it prevented me from looking where I was walking. I tripped over a loose rock and nearly screamed when I felt myself beginning to fall. Before I could hit the ground though, I felt something wrap around my waist a hold me up. To my surprise, it was actually Undyne who caught me.

”Ok that’s it. I’ve been watching you almost collapse for over an hour now.”

I let a small, squeaking noise when Undyne suddenly hoists me onto her shoulder similar to how she had done to Josh earlier. My small protests were ignored other than laughing.

”You are way too tired and the path starts going uphill from here. You’ll end up dropping every ten seconds like this. Besides, now you’re taller!” Undyne looks at me while flashing her sharp-toothed grin. It doesn’t scare me like it usually does. So I stop squirming and try and enjoy the small ride I was receiving. Well, it certainly is different being up so high. I grip Undyne’s arm tightly from fear of falling off.

”How’s the weather up there?” Sans snickers along with Josh.

Embarrassed I duck my head a bit, but am unable to keep it there as I gaze about the forest in wonder. I’ve said it before, but this place was so much more beautiful from the old and crumbling buildings of the village. Monsters seem so friendly too. Why is the Alliance so scared of war? They said that monsters would be furious and begin attacking if we entered their territory, but here they are offering us clothes and food and shelter. Perhaps the Alliance had been mistaken? Or maybe the monsters became more peaceful since exiting the mountain?

I stay on Undyne’s shoulder for a little while longer, but the longer I’m up there the heavier my eyes become. My lack of sleep was finally catching up to me even more than before. The voices of my traveling companions soon begin to blur and I feel my weight shift a bit, but I’m too tired to question it.

TIMESKIP

I walk around in confusion. Wasn’t I just in the forest? I glance at the tall, broken buildings around me. This looks so similar to my village, but it can’t be. I left my village behind when I ran with Josh. And it’s so empty, not a single person in sight. Normally there would be various people around, either fixing the buildings or performing various other tasks. There weren’t even any soldiers-

“There she is! After her!”

I turn around quickly, seeing various figures suddenly coming out from the buildings. Fear overrides my senses, and my feet begin moving on their own. I hastily attempt to dodge debris as I run, but I find myself nearly tripping on various occasions. The figures are drawing closer, and I begin to hear those awful banging noises coming from them. I turn the corner of a building, only to trip over a rock and fall straight to the ground. I try to regain my balance but soon find my legs immobilized by a loose wire.

The figures walk closer, but they no longer look human. I gaze in horror as their features painfully shift into a more animalistic version of themselves. Their teeth begin to grow larger into terrifying fangs, and claws begin to grow out of their fingers. Low, growling erupts from their throats as fur begins to grow around their faces and arms. They look like humanoid versions of the creature that had attacked me in the woods.

I feel my body completely freeze in terror as they get even closer. I open my mouth to call for help, but the only noise that comes out is a small whimper. I shut my eyes tightly, expecting the terrifying beasts to jump at any moment and tear open my flesh. Instead, I hear a shrill screeching noise from above me. Opening my eyes, I see a single raven flying in the sky above me. It dives down and begins to peck at the creatures, causing them to attempt to swat it away with their enormous claws. However, the raven isn’t scared away. In fact, it seems to grow even more determined to chase away the creatures. I grew fearful for the raven. Surely such a small bird couldn’t hold off around five of these things? It would end up getting hurt!

But my feet remained tangled in the wire, and despite my best efforts the wire refused to loosen. So I laid helpless as I watch the single raven attempt to fend off the creatures. It continued to peck at their faces, only getting just barely close enough to attack before flying off to avoid being hit. It continued on like this for a few minutes, and my eyes widen in horror as one of the beasts finally manage to scratch to bird.

Not wanting to see the bird get eaten, I clamp my hands over my face. I hear more shrill screeching and then the pained whine of a dog before footsteps could be heard running away. Everything goes quiet. Slowly, I peak out from behind my fingers, expecting to find the bird in a tangled mess or even gone due to being eaten. Instead, I find myself shocked as I see the bird only a little ways ahead of me, completely unharmed. Even the scratch from earlier was gone.

The raven makes a strange clicking noise before flying and landing on the wire that holds my legs captive. I can only stare at it in shock and curiosity. It stares back for a moment, but then begins to peck at the wiring. There is no way such a tiny bird could peck away a strong, metal wire such this. But before I can say anything, my eyes widen as the wire suddenly snaps and falls to the side. The raven makes a few more clicking noises before hopping a little ways away from me and turning back. I get the strange sensation that it wants me to follow it.

So, I slowly raise to my feet and take a few steps towards the bird. It seems satisfied and flies off a small distance before landing on a rock. I continue to follow it, each time I get close it flies off a bit before landing and waiting for me to catch up. But my legs grow more heavy each step I take, and soon I find it impossible to keep standing. The raven continues to make a small clicking sounds as I fall to the ground. My head grows fuzzy, and the last thing I hear are the clicking sounds before the world around me fades.

I snap my eyes open, but it still takes me a few moments to become more aware of my surroundings. 

“HUMAN! YOU ARE FINALLY WAKING UP! I MUST SAY, I WAS BEGINNING TO BECOME SLIGHTLY WORRIED.”

I look up at Papyrus, who was now carrying me. Undyne was no where to be seen, and Josh and Sans were behind him. Papyrus had one arm around my shoulders, and another arm under my knees. However, I was so small that he could have held me in one. Papyrus must have seen my confused look.

”SANS TOLD ME YOU FELL ASLEEP WHILE UNDYNE WAS CARRYING YOU. WHEN I RETURNED, SHE WAS CARRYING YOU SIMILAR TO HOW I AM NOW. WORRY NOT, EVERYTHING IS PERFECTLY FINE. SANS WAS ABLE TO HAVE HIS FLIGHT, THEN I OFFERED TO CARRY YOU ONCE IT WAS UNDYNE’S TURN. THAT IS WHY SHE IS NOT HERE NOW. YOU MUST HAVE BEEN VERY TIRED, DIDNT YOU GET ENOUGH REST LIKE I HAD ASKED?”

I lower my head in embarrassment. I had slept for so long that Papyrus and Sans were both able to finish their flying? I must have been more exhausted than I thought. I really had tried to rest like Papyrus had asked of me, but sleep hadn’t come as easy as it should have. I didn’t mean to worry them.

”IT IS FINE FRIEND. JUST TRY AND REST EXTRA CAREFUL TONIGHT! THE FOREST IS MUCH BETTER APPRECIATED WHEN AWAKE!”

I nod my head, trying to ignore the embarrassed heat in my cheeks. Had I been dreaming? I don’t remember what it was about.

SANS P.O.V.

I let out a small chuckle as (Y/n) tries to apologize. Papyrus hadn’t mentioned everything, but I guess he didn’t have to. She had actually nearly fallen off of Undyne’s shoulder when she had fallen asleep, if not for Undyne’s strong grip. Undyne had indeed carried her for a little while, but it had become apparent that she was having a bad dream.

Her breathing had gotten stronger and sweat had begun to build up on her forehead. She had also begun to fidget around and whimper in pain. Her cousin had been worried, and Undyne about panicked (not that she would admit it.) After watching Undyne try and fail to wake her up gently, I had calmly taken (Y/n) from her arms before Undyne could start shaking her. 

It had taken a few moments but Josh and I had finally managed to calm her down. Josh had been whispering calming words to her as I tried to still her shaking. Her whimpers had died down, but when her cousin offered to take her she had begun again just barely and gripped the front of my jacket. Undyne had started snickering and giving me a smug grin. Josh only looked confused as (Y/n) grip became tighter.

Eventually Papyrus came back, and I was able to hand (Y/n) over to him without waking her up. She had started shivering a bit, but it only lasted a second before she calmed down. My entire flight I had been thinking about it. I knew she had bad dreams sometimes, we all did. Even Undyne had woken up to her small cries last night, but none of us mentioned anything. We could only assume it was due to her experiences in the human territory.

Still, Undyne probably won’t stop teasing me for a while.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First off, I’m sorry how long it took for me to write this. I have a lot of stuff going on, mainly packing up my room. College gonna come soon for me and I’m gonna be moving out from my parents house. (I got junk in my room I didn’t know existed till now.) so yeah. That and all this ‘preparing for college’ stress has been giving me severe writers block. 
> 
> So! To help cure me from my writers block, I would like to hear any ideas you readers might have. Any suggestions? I’m free to hear any thing you guys might want to see in the story.


End file.
